Switch operating mechanism



Sept. 1, 1931. R. H. OLLEY 1,821,026

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Nov. 7, 1927 FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAYMOND H. OLLEY, OFSYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CROUSE-HINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEWYORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM Applicationfiled November 7, 1927. Serial No. 231,585.

This invention relates to switch and fuse boxes and has for its object aparticularly simple, efficient and economical construction forpreventing access to the fuses when the switch is on and preventing thethrowing of the switch to on position when the fuses are accessible.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations.and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in allthe views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of this switch box.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the cover.

Figure 3 is a sectional View, parts being omitted, of the switch box andcontents, the cover being shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 4-4, Figure 1.

This switch and fuse box comprises generally, a box having switch andfuse portions, a cover for the box, the cover having an opening leadingto the fuse portion, a door normally closing said opening, switchoperating mechanism carried by the cover and including motiontransmitting parts located on the inner side of the cover and detachablyconnected to the switch mechanism in the switch portion of the box sothat they detach from the switch mechanism when the cover is removed andactuating parts mounted on the outer face of the cover, means forlocking the door in closed position, this means being located on theouter side of the cover and preferably on the door.

The switch mechanism and the door mechanism have parts on the outside ofthe cover which project into each others paths in such a manner that theactuation of the switch mechanism ap lies a force to the door lockingmechanism to move the door locking mechanism to its locked position, ifit is out of locked position, and the o eration of the door lockingmechanism to unlocked position applies a force to the switch mechanismto open the switch, 1f the switch is closed, and also the door andswitch mechanism are so ar ranged that operation of the switch isprevented when the door is open and the door held closed when the switchis on.

1 designates the box which may be of any suitable form, size andconstruction, it being open at 2 at its top.

3 designates a rocking switch member pivoted at 4 and having arms 5 and6 which move into and out of engagement with contacts 7 and 8, theswitch having an arm 9 by means of which the arms 5, 6 are rocked abouttheir pivot 4, into and out of position to engage the arms 5, 6 with thecontacts 7 and 8. The switch has a snap action. However, theconstruction of the switch forms no part of this invention and for anunderstand ing of this invention, it is merely necessary to bear in mindthat the switch has an opening and closing movement.

10 designates fuses engaged with suitable contacts 11 and 12. The switchand the fuse contacts are mounted on a suitable base 13 and alsosuitable binding devices 14 are mounted on the base for connection towires and enclosed in conduits coupled to the box in box in any suitablemanner as by screws 17.1

18 is a door for closing an opening in the cover giving access to thefuse compartment, the door being preferably hinged at 19 on the upperside of the cover with the free edge of the door toward one end of thecover so that the hinges are located between the ends of the cover.

The motion transmitting parts of the operating mechanism for the switchas here shown comprises a rock arm 20 mounted on the inner end of ashaft 21 ournalled in the cover to rock therein and a lever 22 pivotedat 23 on the inner side of the cover and having a sl0t2loropposingshoulders25 between which the lever arm 9 of the switchmechanism extends, this lever 22 being suitably connected to the rockarm to be actuated thereby, it being here shown as formed with a slot 27for receiving a pin 28 on the rock arm20. The actuating part of theswitch operating mechanism located on the outer side of the cover ishere shown as a lever 29 mounted on the outer end of the shaft 21 andhaving a handle 30 at its free end.

The door lockin mechanism which is prei? erabl carried by the door 18comprises a lever "31 pivoted at 32 on the-outer side of the door andextending from beyond the free e e of the door .to the hinged edgethereof.

The lever 29 and the lever '31 have projcctions 33 and projecting intoeach others paths at the hinged edge of the door, and arranged so thatthrowing of the switch to on position when the lever is unlocked isobstructed by the lever and if sul'iicient force is applied to theswitch, the lever 31 will be thrown to its locked position, and it thelever 31 is moved to its unlocked position, such movement will {beobstructed by the switch lever 29 and if suiiicient force is applied tothe lever 31, the switch lever will be moved to 0'5 position. Also, theprojection 33 extends into the path of the hinged edge of the doorto'pre-vent the throwing of the lever 29 to on position if the lever 31is thrown to its locked position before the door is closed, or in-otherwords, when the door 18 is in open position, the :edge thereof betweenthe hinge leaves is in the path of the shoulder 33 on the lever 2 9 andprevents the operation oi such lever 29 to on position.

The h nge pins 19 are carried at the ends of hinged leaves projectingbeyond the edge of the door and the lever 29 extends between these hingeleaves. This arrangement facilitates the'coac'tion of the lever 29 andthe-door and also the coaetion of the lever 29 with the lever 31. Asseen in the drawings, the axis "of the hinge pins 19 'is located abovethe plane *of the door 18 and the hinge leaves on the door 18 normallyincline downwardly. Hence, when the door 'is swung open, the hinged edgeof the door moves in an are slightly outward'lyor to the right, Figure 2until the inclined hinge leaves pass upward above horizontal positionand during this slight forward movement, the hinged "edge of the door 18clears the shoulder 33 on the lever 29. j

The love-r31 coaet-s at the free edge of the door with a suitable keeperor-overhanging shoulder 35 under which it moves when in locked position.The cover is also provided with perforated lugs 36 and 37 for receivingthe "hasps of padlocks when the switch is in "011? position and thelever 31 is in locked position so that these parts can not beopera'tedexcept by an authorized person, these lugs 36, 37 and thepadlock constituting means for locking theswitch and the switch "box.

The lever is detachably connected to the shaft '21 by a key controlledlock in order that the switch handle may be thrown to on position andthen disconnected from the shaft 21 by unlocking the same and againthrown to or? position leaving the switch on so that the doorof the fusecompartment can be opened by an authorized person while the switch ison.

' As here illustrated, the lever 29 is keyed to the shaft 21'by a lockscrew 38 threading into the lever at one side of the shaft and enteringa hole in a lug or segment 39 on the shaft 21 and located in a recess 10in the hub of the lever 29. The recess is wide enough to permit movementof the handle relatively to the lock when the lock screw is removed orloosened. The lever 29 is held from endwise displacement by a key 41extending transversely of the hub of the lever 29 and tangentiallythrough an annular groove 42 in the shaft 21. The head of the lock screwis shaped to receive a key and as here shown, the head is cylindricaland when inoperative position, located to fit a circular countersink inthe handle, and the head is to receive a particular key or socketwrench. When the screw is in operative position with its head in thecountersink, it can not be turned by means as a pair of plyers and canonly be turned by a wrench or key capable of fitting the socket L3 andhaving an eccentric pin for entering the hole 44.

In operation, when the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1, theswitch can be operated in the usual manner. If however, the switch lever29 is in on position and it is attempted to open the door 18, the movingof the lever 31 to unlocked position will be obstructed -by theprojections 33, 34 or the movement of the lever 31 would cause theswitch lever 29 to be 'moved to its off position by reason of theprojection 34 pushing against the projection 33. After the switch lever29 has been moved to off position and also the lever 31 moved out fromunder the shoulder or keeper 35, the door 18 giving access to the fuseportion, can then be opened, and while open, the operation of the switchlever 29 is prevented by the projection engaging the hinged edge of thedoor, and while the door is open, even though the lever 31 maybe shiftedto its position occupied when the door is locked but with its endoverlying the shoulder or keeper 35 instead of interlocking under thesame, then the switch handle 29 can not be operated by reason of theprojection 33 engaging the hinged edge of the door 18.

Owing to the arrangement of the mechanism on the cover, it isself-contained with the cover and removable as a unit therewith.

What I claim is:

1. The combination of a box havim switch and fuse portions, a cover forthe box, the cover having an opening leading to the fuse portion, and adoor closing said opening, switch operated mechanism carried by thecover including motion transmitting portion located on the inner side ofthe cover and connected to the switch mechanism located in the switchportion, and an actuating portion mounted on the face of the cover,means for locking the door in closed position located on the outer sideof the cover, the actuating portion of the switch mechanism and aportion of the door locking means projecting into each others pathswhereby operation of the door locking mechanism to unlock the door whenthe switch is on actuates the switch mechanism to throw the switch tooff position, and actuation of the switch mechanism from off position toon position actuates the door locking mechanism to locked position.

2. The combination of a box havm switch and fuse portions, a cover forthe ox, the cover having an opening leading to the fuse portion and thedoor closing said opening, switch operated mechanism carried by thecover including motion transmitting parts located on the inner side ofthe cover and connected to the switch mechanism located in the switchportion of the box, and an actuation part mounted on the face of thecover, means for locking the door in closed position, located on theouter side of the cover, the actuating part of the switch mechanism anda portion of the door locking mechanism projecting into each otherspaths whereby operation of the door locking mechanism to unlock the doorwhen the switch is on actuates the switch mechanism to throw the switchto off position, and actuation of the switch mechanism from off positionto on position actuates the door locking mechanism to locked position,the door, when in open position projecting into the path of theswitchactuating part.

3. The combination of a box having a switch and fuse portions, a coverfor the box having an opening leading into the fuse portion and a doorclosing said opening, a switch and fuses located respectively in saidportions, switch operating mechanism carried by the cover and includinmotion transmitting parts on the inner side of the cover and connectedto the switch mechanism and an operating lever mounted on the outer faceof the cover, means for locking the door in closed position comprising alever pivoted 011 the outer face of the door, the levers projecting intoeach others paths to prevent acll luation of the switch for the purposespeci- 4. The combination of a box having switch and fuse portions, acover for the box having an opening leadin into the fuse portion, a doorfor closing sai opening, the door being hinged to the cover, a switchand fuses located respectively in said portions, switch operatingmechanism carried by the cover and including motion transmitting partslocated on the inner side of the cover and operating lever mounted onthe outer face of the cover and having a portion located in the path ofthe hinged edge of the door, a lever for locking the door closed, thelever being pivoted to the outer side of the door and having an armextending to the hinged edge of the door, said levers extending intoeach others paths for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination of a box having switch and fuse portions, an openingleading to the fuse portion, a door closing said opening, a switch andfuses located respectively in said portions, switch operating mechanismincluding a shaft extending outside of the box and a handle mounted onthe outer end of the shaft, means for locking the door in closedposition and operable from the outer side of the box, the handle and aportion of the door locking means and the door being arranged to extendinto each others paths and to coact to cause the actuation of the switchhandle to on position to throw the door locking means to its lockedposition, and the unlocking operation of the door locking mechanism tothrow the switch handle to off position and key operated mechanism foroperatively connecting the handle to the shaft.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, at Syracuse, inthe county of Onondaga, and in the State of New York, this 29th day ofOctober, 1927.

RAYMOND H. OLLEY.

GERTIFIGATE 0F (IQRREQTEDN.

Patent No. 1,821,026, Granted September 1, 193i, to

RAYMOND H. ()LLEY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numhered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,line 87, after "is" inset't formed; and that the sai-ti Letters Patentshout-ti be read with this correction therein that the same may conformto the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of ()ctoher, A. D. 1931.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE 9F CORREIITEON.

Patent'No. 1,821,026. Granted September 1, 193i, to

RAYMOND H. OLLEY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correctien as ioiiows: Page 2,line 87, after "is" insert formed; and that the said Letters Patentsheuiii be read with this eorrectien therein that the same may cenfnrmis the record of the case in the Patent ()ffice.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of October, A. I). 1931.

M. J. Moore,

(Seal) Acting Commissiener of Patents.

